Republicans still trail Democrats in total early votes cast

Oct. 26, 2012

A line forms outside of Kenilworth Presbyterian to take advantage of early voting. / Citizen-Times photo

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Early voting

Early voting is a way to avoid long lines on Election Day. Voters may cast a ballot at any of the early voting locations unlike Election Day where they must vote at their precincts. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday–Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Nov. 3. Check the Buncombe County Board of Elections website for a list of locations at www.buncombecounty.org

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ASHEVILLE — North Carolina Republicans are voting in greater numbers than what the GOP saw during early balloting four years ago. But the party still trails Democrats in votes cast so far.

More than 358,100 Republicans had voted by midday Friday, up from 259,800 over the same number of early voting days in 2008, according to the conservative Citivas Institute.

The institute says 953,760 total votes have been cast so far in North Carolina and 55 percent came from Democrats.

Regardless of the Democratic edge so far, Republicans should be encouraged by their own improvement, said Chris Cooper, a political scientist at Western Carolina University.

“I think statewide the trends mean this is looking more like a Romney state than an Obama state right now,” Cooper said. “Early voting is a sign of how well you are mobilizing your base.”

North Carolina is one of the swing states crucial to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s bid to win the White House.

Rob Lockwood, spokesman for the N.C. Republican Party, said the trend shows the base is more excited this year.

“It’s because people are making more phone calls, more door knocks, more interpersonal communications,” he said.

He said people are more fired up because President Obama has a record of “failure and failed expectations” and “has promoted no second-term agenda.”

“Voters, especially independent voters, are looking for people who are serious with serious solutions who are ready to talk,” he said

President Barack Obama won North Carolina in 2008 by just 14,000 votes.

Republican National Committee political director Rick Wiley in a memo said the momentum in early voting and absentee voting will make it hard for Obama.

He said two key metrics — the party’s share of early voting compared to voter registration and the party’s share of early voting compared to 2008 — are good signs for Romney.

Republicans, he said, are voting more often by 5.6 points in Florida, 8.7 points in Ohio, and nearly 12 points in Pennsylvania.

Democrats, he said, are underperforming compared with 2008 by 5.9 percent in the swing states.

North Carolina Obama spokesman Cameron French noted that African-Americans and youths — voters that have traditionally favored Democrats — make up a slightly larger percentage of the early vote compared with 2008.